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Sunday, January 23, 2011

General Hospital Sunday Surgery: Special Victims Unit

Ah, here we go. Young girl, stripper with a heart o' gold is going to be attacked by an abusive ex, only to be rescued by a GH "hero" (non-police naturally) right before or during the rape. Yep, they are going there again.Now, I'm on the high side of 40. I've gone to 4 colleges, lived in the middle of two rather large cities, spent many months on my own in Southern Cal...even bartended for 3 years. Guess what? I've never even HEARD of anyone being attacked that I knew. EVER. Not to say it doesn't happen, and not to say this isn't a soap-- but come on. One reason these plot devices can be so shocking is because they'd don't happen often. Well, of course they do on GH. They happen so often they are a joke.

Our show has a nice, rich history of women being attacked. From the infamous Luke/Laura saga, to Liz's brutal rape...Ric's chaining Carly up in some dang room and on and on. There are too many to list. Faison always had to tie someone up-- Franco puts Sam in a glass Pledge Box. Lulu's on a bomb. Claudia was on a roof tied to a bomb. "Damsels In Distress" takes on a whole new meaning on GH. Logan turns out to be Lulu's stalker-- Kristina gets beaten by her boyfriend-- the Balkan is after Brenda. On and on it goes. They've become the "go to" story for our illustrious Mr. Headwriter. The guy that seems to revel in female suffering.

Got anything new?? Do we really need to further this Abby story by mixing in another potential rape on top of a prison rape? I think it may have been cool for Abby to have been an intern therapist treating Michael and have them fall for each other. Taboo right there. The whole stripper crap is just stupid. There's Dramaz and there's recycled victim mentality. We get the recycled bits.So, when you see those scenes of Brandon and Abby...Jason flyin' in to the rescue, think o' me. Silently screaming into my air-sickness bag.

So, anything else happen this week? Heh...that's the understatement of the year, huh? Goodness. ABC Daytime just imploding step by bloody step. When will it end? Not sure..but I do think more vets will be asked to take pay cuts. Specifically, those working over 10 years in the biz. They did this once before (who can forget the Robin Strasser hoo-ha awhile back?). There will be more exits. And all the while? The stories will suffer. There's a credible rumor out there that another fan fave, vet/female is exiting GH. Since there aren't many "vets" left you do the math.

I tell you one thing, I'm kinda feeling like a daytime victim after all of this! LOL..here I am, a small blogger/webmistress doin' her thing and feeling lousy about her fave show most of the time. Someone that's been online since THE BEGINNING of "online" sites-- doing the PR shuffle for free. Doing more to promote their damn show than they do. Now? Eh...they pretend to listen. Pretend to 'care'...but we know it's all a business. I'm of two minds. Support the genre that I love by sticking it out or just walk away. Pushed up against the wall and year after year of disappointments doesn't really lend itself to loyalty. I've tried to invest in new couples like Jolivia or new characters like Claudia. Why bother? They don't last anymore. Anything that ever gets started on GH hardly gets a middle, let alone an ending.

We spend our money at events, fan weekends and flock to actor appearances. Give generously to charity. I don't know of any other fanbase that's so invested. What do we expect in return? Not much but a watchable show that has decent, engaging stories. We don't like it that SSW in Florida was canceled for east coasters or that Soap Net will be going off the air. 22 repeats a year per soap will be starting and of course, less and less of our faves and watching our history evaporate. Future looks bleak, Blanche.

Finally, we all know it's not the end of the world. There are a lot worse things happening right in our own backyards. Maybe that's why soaps matter so much--it's our escape. Now they're being messed with as well. Maybe that's why we are so cranky. Maybe that's why I feel like turning my TV off from 3-4 everyday. Maybe someday soon, they'll push far enough and it won't be worth it anymore. Maybe they'll drive away the 1.7 ratings peeps that are still left. Maybe.

23 comments:

Soaps and Soap Fans, who are perhaps the most loyal in the world, fans to actors, actors to fans, have never been treated with any kind of respect, its always been a joke to those who dont watch, and dont get it. We will always be there, even if the show is gone, but the saddest thing is that TIIC are the ones who never got it.

I disagree with you partially Karen. Soap fans want drama vs the mob crap.. However, it would have been better if Carly helped Abby. Or Lucky (and have him remember Liz's turmoil thus having him open more of a line of communication and give us at least one damn scene b/w them before Becky leaves). Why it always has to be Jason is beyond me. Sometimes when soaps go too extreme with off the wall stories (aliens, possessions, etc) we can't identify with it. Rapes make us see the vulnerbility in the characters. If you think about the rapes that occurred on GH, there aren't as many over the long period you mentioned. I do agree we need better writing. Hell as much as I hate to say it, I would rather see drama of the attack of a woman than the mob. But show her heal, show her seek COUNSELING. You never know, maybe they want to test the chemistry with Jason & Abby... I know I won't forget the gentleness Ethan showed Kristina and Itrust they may revisit this coupling once Annie departs.

I also have to say that I am praying this BS story with Liz trying to get b/w Nik & Brooke ends TODAY. We never liked Nik & Liz so why root for them. I don't like Brooke either, but if we don't care about either couple, the scenes don't work.

Yeah soap are all about drama. At least they aren't showing Jax getting attacked again that waas a joke. They should have Liz help Abby but I agree the carly saving her would be a way for Michael to warm up to carly again. Even though Carly deserves for everyone to hate her at this point. She will lose Jax, Michael, Lulu and more over everything she has caused. but of course Jason will let it go and still love her. No matter what she does to Sam, Liz, anyone else he cares for. I guess they are just glaxzing over the fact that sam did hire abby to have sex with michael origianlly? Maybe she didn't pay her but she put her up to befriending him and Abby's intension was to have sex with him.

I too have had difficulty deciding whether to stay loyal or walk away from GH. (I wrote about it yesterday)Some people can decide to just not record it and watch it if it's on and they're home. If I could do this, that is the avenue that I would take. For me, however, my kids get picked up from school at 2:30 (remember I'm in Texas, so GH comes on 2-3pm)So, if I want to see it, I have to make a conscience decision to DVR it. I didn't record it all last week, and in fact canceled it from my DVR manager. I think next week I'm going to start recording it, and at least I'll know it's there if I want to watch it later. Of course, all I really have to do is scroll through twitter to see what happened or if it's worth watching that day or not! Usually it isn't; but there's never a dull moment on twitter that's for sure!I can't help but feel also that there is no compelling story telling going on. It is just all so boring and predictable. My husband says nothing original comes out Hollywood anymore (as evidenced by all the movie remakes lately)The same can be said for daytime soaps. What's funny is they recycle crap we just don't care about. Why not bring back the nurses ball? Now that's a story that could recycle over and over again and I would never tire of it. Daytime is trying too hard to copy the stories of primetime. The reason those stories work is 1) they are just better written; and 2) they are only one once a week. I enjoy watching Grey's Anatomy, for example; but I couldn't stomach watching it everyday. Anyhow, I've babbled on enough...see you in T'World!

I still can't wrap my head around The irish lad getting a contract AND a love story with JJ. And if spoilers are true they will have liz being a big bitch on her way out the door fighting for a man she never loved anyway. Stupid.

It may be the woman getting bashed on GH. But it is really the men. Look at all the men that get killed off, 3 on One Life To Live lately. Thugs on GH about every month. Logan, Cooper, Jesse, Kiefer, His father. How much you want to bet Abby's boyfriend Brandon will get killed off very soon by Jason . And the Balkan soon too and his mercanary coming will too . The men on daytime fall for getting killed off all the time. And it will continue.

One that picture makes me so sad. Gosh I miss those people. My money is on NLG being the next to go. She's now the ranking female - and they have Diane and Claire who are bound to be cheaper. Question is will they kill her too and leave molly and krissy to JaSam. It could be JE but since she works with TG I'd be surprised.

I have to agree that the writing for Abby&Michael is bad..I guess that it wasn't something planned,they wanted to have some short scenes showing Michael's real trouble or hint then be done move along until the reveal...But they changed it when the chemistry between the actors came.. so they had to have them as a couple.. whatever...

I guess the reveal has to come in some way,so have Abby attacked,another woman, will "help" Michael start to relive his attack.....Jason is there because he is main part of the STory of Michael...

I wish it would be done differently,But still Looking forward to the scenes.. I have to say Rape of a men is a story that not many do it,but it is happening in the world....GH had dealt w/Rape before, of women, Laura Liz and Emily, I hope,not that hopeful, it will be done in that line...

I wonder if Jason will remember his sister rape.. if the writers remember that...

I am not Liz fan But I hate Becky letting go,stupid choice!!!I think they could have wrote her, as part of the story, like Jason taking Michael after the reveal to be checked again and Liz is the nurse that treats him....

The 90s pictures SOB. I just don't know what to say. Those of us online do a lot to support and advocate shows and sometimes instead of being cool they knife us in the back. Eventually something has got to give sadly. Thanks for everything you do on this site.

I quit watching GH when Franco came on the scene.I also noticed that when a couple Like Jasam fell in love everything was going along fine and Guza blows the relationship to heck.How long has it been since Bobby,Monica.and Audrey have been on?????Want to bet there ratings will be lower next time..I come here and read what goes on with GH.

I have been watching since 1977. I still do from time to time, not religiously anymore. I cry a little inside every time I see what has happened to this show. What is sad is that GH used to be a very important part of my life. And now? I have the attitude "oh, is that show still on the air?"

Sad on several levels for all of us viewers. Especially since we all know what could be done to bring back long-tiem viewers and make this show meaningful and decent to watch again.

you are right nyangel22 the only one thats on there everyday is Sonny they should have renamed the dang show to the Sonny and Jason Show....When they killed off Alan.Georgie and Emily that done it for me.And every year the emmy goes to GH writers somebody is bribing someone somewhere...

Folks,Sad to say, but this show (and all of daytime soapdom really) is in a death spiral...The GH writers need to put together a 2 year endgame and wrap everything up. If I were doing it, here's what I'd do:- Bring back Robert and Anna as a married couple and living in nearby NYC. Anna still does field work and is on occasionally. Robert ends up his storied career as a special director of an FBI task force to take down the mob in Port Charles and gets good screen time in town putting together a team and interacting with Robin, Patrick, Maxie, Mac, AND LUKE!- Lucky is recruited to Robert's team and goes undercover to bring down Sonny and Jason. I want this storyline to have an "Untouchables" meets "The Departed" kind of feel. Throw Luke and Tracy into the mix as well as they'll be caught in the byplay between family and frenemies on both sides.- Robin and Patrick reconcile after awhile.- Quatermaine screen time is increased. Allen is brought back a few times as a ghost- Up the hospital screen time - mix and match some unlikely couples there- Kill off/send off some of the dead weight on the show- Luke and Helna - yeah one final deathmatch with Robert helping out Luke once the mob storyline wraps up.- End up the show with one last huge wedding (like they used to do in the 80's - all cast there with multiple story lines being played out and some shockers at the reception) and a final pan of the nurses station at the hospital.

In 2 years there's a lot more stuff that could be done, but bottom line...I would stop adding characters that we don't care about and FINISH THE JOB with the existing group.

What all this boils down to me is we need writing that connects the SHOCKING moments to an overall larger plot. When Lulu was grabbed by Franco...there was no long term repercussion for her. She was back to obsessing over Dante in about a week. Emily's recovery from her rape was ridiculous. Either time Jake has been kidnapped there has been no referrence to Lucky being kidnapped himself. Everything it told in a vaccuum. And everything has been told multiple times before. Sam's been meanced sexually so many times it's just about expected when she has a scene. Why are we all so confident Liz will likely leave in a body bag? Because we've seen Guza do exactly that the last two time young legacy female characters left the show (Georgie and Emily). When all we see are shock and awe and there is no connection to the larger history of the show...it's hard to care. Even harder to care when if you've watched this show for more than a few weeks you know how it's going to turn out. Jason will save the day....we'll hear all this praise about how Jason saved so and so...and then ohh look over here...another plot we'll drop in about a week. what GH has been operating under for years is the notion that PLOT drives the story which is why we have Guza talking about some populare movie or TV show that inspired this story or that. And it's all well and good to try things that are popular in other shows. But what GH seems to have lost sight of is CHARACTER needs to drive the story as much and even more so than plot does. And when your characters don't even make sense in the plot they are allegedly a part of (for example...Liz's inclusion in Brooke/Nik. Why? She's been clear for months she doesnt' want a relationship with him. Likely it's merely becasue the writers want us to root for Brook/Nik and they think we all hate Liz so if she's against them, we'll be for them) it's hard to watch or give a care in teh world about it.

Abby gets more storyline and screentime than Maya and Liz. I don't watch GH I am sick of Mayan scenes being cut, I am sick of Lisa and I want more of Ethan and Edward but Brenda , Sonny and Dante ar all fastforward!

I haven't been on here in a long while. So much happening in personal life. So I pop on here the other night at work to read the spoilers and see the news about Rebecca Herbst and I felt like I was punched in the gut! Of all the actresses on the show,that has had longevity,she is the one that gets fired! Let me tell you how much this pisses me off!!! I want to know why her! What could she have done that was so terrible! I am glad to see that SOME of her coworkers are somewhat outraged too! I am one of those that hopes that the show dies now! I can't watch this show without Elizabeth. No she hasn't had much to work with in the last year or so but that is the writers not her. and not to beat a dead horse but TPTB love to play off the "main" actors and we all know which ones they are! I am sick of it! Its been this way for years and it will never stop!

I hope Becky gets picked up in primetime if not on another daytime show, she is a great actress!so here is a big F&ck you to GH!!

So per the new spoilers, they are going to further insert the knife in the back of all L&L2 fans by having Lucky tell Elizabeth he is in love with the irish lad. Oh and Also in the back of Liason fans by letting Sam potentially get pregnant. Maybe even help raise Jake. And for the very few fans of Nik & Elizabeth Brooklyn will get him. A couple we care nothing about. We almost root liz on for lying about Aidan's ailments (I said almost) Will they have liz commit suicide? Money problems, her first love loves someone else, Her babydaddy loves kidnapping liars? If they don't give us an Aidan reveal before Becky leaves that is just wrong.

There already was a "Departed" knockoff - remember Coop the Cop blackmailed by Sonny while Logan was a criminal blackmailed into being a mole for Rick? Of course it went nowhere and the two vets were a) murdered and b) turned into a rapist and killed. While Sonny the cop-killer (for all intents and purposes) remains The Pantydropper, with no woman, no matter how smart, being able to resist his middle-aged "Scarface" ripoff! Pathetic and disgusting - must be Guza living vicariously.

Oh, look, the Mollytron 2000 is trying to emote...oh, and my hubby adds that Baldie Balkan is a ripoff of a character called the Kingpin in Daredevil comics (soaps are my guilty pleasure, comics his)